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Thera 6.2: Tekicchakari
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(211):Tekicchakari Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter VI. Six Verses =211. Tekicchakāri= Reborn in this Buddha-age as the son of a brahmin(priest) named Subuddha, he was safely brought into the world by the aid of physicians. Hence he was named Tekicchakāri, 'doctor-made.'1 He grew up, learning the arts and learning of his clan. Now his father, by his wisdom and policy having incurred the jealousy and suspicion of the King of Benares (sic), was by King Candagutta thrown into prison. Then Tekicchakāri, hearing of this, took fright and fled, taking sanctuary with the Thera living at the Vihāra(monastery) Hall, and telling him the cause of his trouble. The Thera initiated him into monkhood and gave him an exercise, upon which he became an open-air sedent bhikkhu,2 heedless of heat or cold, and devoted especially to the cultivation of the Sublime Moods. Him Mara(deathlord/devil) the Evil One saw, as one slipping out of his reach; and in the desire of unbalancing the Thera, he drew near in the guise of a field-herd, when the harvest was over, tempting him thus: ---- 381 Atihitā vīhi khalagatā sālī,|| Na ca labhe piṇḍaɱ kathamahaɱ kassaɱ.|| || ---- 381 All harvested is now the rice, and threshed The barley. Not a bite or sup I'll get! What shall I do? ---- Then the Thera, thinking, 'This fellow tells me of his state. But it is myself that I ought to address. I have no business to be discoursing,' thus taught himself to meditate on the Three Bases: ---- 382 Buddhamappameyyaɱ anussara pasanno,|| Pītiyā phuṭasarīro hohisi satatamudaggo.|| || 383 Dhammamappameyyaɱ anussara pasanno,|| Pītiyā phuṭasarīro hohisi satatamudaggo.|| || 384 Saŋghamappameyyaɱ anussara pasanno,|| Pītiyā phuṭasarīro hohisi satatamudaggo.|| || 385 Abbhokāse viharasi sītā hemantikā imā rattiyo,|| Mā sītena pareto vihaññittho pavisa tvaɱ vihāraɱ phusitaggaḷaɱ.|| || 386 Phusissaɱ catasso appamaññāyo|| Tāhi ca sukhito viharissaɱ,|| Nāhaɱ sītena vihaññissaɱ|| Aniñjito viharanto' ti.|| || ---- ' 382' Think on the Buddha! infinite the thought! You thus in gladsome piety, your frame With rapture all suffused, shall ever live Upon the heights. 383 209 Think on the Dhamma!3 ... 384 Think on the Monk’s order! infinite the thought!3 you thus in gladsome piety, your frame With rapture all suffused, shall ever live Upon the heights. Then Mara(deathlord/devil) again, wishing to dissuade him from solitude, pretended to be his well-wisher, saying: 385 Does it live beneath bare skies? Cold are these nights And wintry now. See that you perish not down with cold. Get you within your lodge, Your door well barred! Then the Thera, showing that in house-living was a binding, but that there he was at comfort, said: 386 My heart transported shall reach out and touch The Four Immeasurable Moods;4 by that Ever shall I in blissful comfort remain. Not mine down by cold to fail, who live Unmoved and calm. ---- Thus saying, the Thera developed insight and realized arahantship(enlightenment). And because this Thera lived in the time of King Biṇḍusāra, these verses must be understood as having been rehearsed as canonical at the Third Council.5 ---- 1 So in Oldenberg's MSS. and the Br. Cy. Only the S. Cy. has -kāni. 2 Two forms of the dhutangas. See Milinda, ii., book vi. 3 Repeat as in verse 382. 4 See his story and that of Subhūti. The Four Moods were Love, Pity, Sympathy for Happiness, and Equanimity. Line 1 is expanded from 'I shall touch,' an expression scarcely so significant to us as to a Buddhist or a Neo-Platonist. See my Buddhism, p. 218. 5 This interesting historical sidelight was noticed in Oldenberg's edition, p. 42 n., and in Dialogues of the Buddha, i. xvi. Biṇḍusāra, father of Asoka, was son of the usurper Chandragupta (Candagutta), who imprisoned the Thera's father. ---- =6.2 211 Commentary on the stanza of Tekicchakāritthera= The stanza starting with Atihitāvīhi constitutes that of the venerable thera Tekicchaka. What is the origin? This one also, having done devoted deeds toward former Buddhas, accumulating acts of merit in this and that existence, was reborn in a family home at the time of the Blessed One Vipassī ninety one aeons (kappa) ago; on having attained the age of intelligence, he reached proficiency in the texts of physicians (vajjasattha) and made the ailing thera named Asoka who was an attendent in service to the Blessed One Vipassī become free from illness; he well administered (saṃvidahi) medicine to other living beings overwhelmed by ailment out of compassion (for them). On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings and was reborn as the son of a brahman named Subuddha when this Buddha arose; they named him Tekicchakārī because of the state of his having been all round protected (paripālita) after having removed (apaharitvā) the danger (parissayaṃ) at the time of his pregnancy by means of much medicine. He grew up learning all arts and sciences at the place of learning, commensurate with his own family; at that time, Cānakka, on having seen the cleverness of wisdom (paññāveyyattiyaṃ) and dexterity in the wherewithal (upāyakosolla) as well as in his doings (kiriyāsu) of Subuddha, had him thrown into the prison (bandhanā) house by king Candagutta over his natural jealousy (issāpakato) saying to himself: “This one, gaining support (patiṭṭhaṃ) in this royal family might overshadow (alhibhaveyya) me.” On having heard that his father had been put into prison (bandhanāgārappavedanam) Tekicchakārī, became afraind, fled, went to the presence of the thera Sānavāsī, spoke to the thera the matter (Kāraṇa) of his own remorse (saṇvaga), became a monk, collected his mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna) and dwelt after having been an open-air-life leader (abbhokāsiko) and austere sitter (nesajjiko) as austere practice. He did but the duties of a monk without calculating (agaṇento) cold and heat; distinctively he continuously engaged himself (anuyuñjati) in developing the meditation on the holy life of chastity (brahmavihārabhāvanaṃ). On having seen him, Māra, the evil one, went to the presence of the thera in the guise (vaṇṇa) of a field watcher (khettagopaka) at the time of the completion (nipphatti) of crops (sassa) being desiruos of making disturbance (vikkhepa) saying to himself; “I shall not allow this one to go beyond my sphere (visaya) of influence,” and said a stanza in order to frighten (nippaṇḍento) him. 381. “Paddy (vīhi) had been harvested (atihitā); barley (sālī) had gone to be threshed (khala); yet I do not gain a lump (piṇḍaṃ) of food; how shall I do?.” On having heard it, the thera said (three stanzas):– 382. “Having become piously pleased (pasanno) reflect upon (anussara) the immeasurability of Buddha; ever (satataṃ) elated (udaggo), you should have your body permeated (phuṭa) with zest (pīti). 383. “Immeasurability of truth (dhamma). … ever elated. 384. “Immeasurability of the Order of monks. … ever elated. On having heard it Māra said: 385. “You dwell in the open air; these nights of the snowy cold season are cold. Do not get yourself afflicted and haressed by cold; you should enter the monastery the door of which can be kept fastened (phusitaggaḷaṃ).” Thereupon, the thera replied thus: 386. “I shall have myself permeated with the four forms of holy life of boundless living kindness and so on (appamaññā); I shall dwell blissfully with those (boundless sentiments). I shall not be haressed (vihaññissaṃ) by cold, (since I am) dwelling with unperturbed jhāna (aniñjito). There, atihitā vīhi means: grains of paddy had been borne to the granary (koṭṭhāgāra) and kept there; there (the grains) had been set in order (paṭisāmitā); in other words, (the paddy grains had been borne home from the threshing floor (khalato); thus, is the meaning. Here, by the taking of paddy (vīhigahaṇena) it takes together (sangaṇhāti) other grains (dhaññaṃ) also. Khagatā sālī means: the barley crops (sālī), however, generally get ripened (paccanti) pasterior to paddy (vīhīto pacchā); they have gone to the place of making grains; there they have been kept to stand in a state of a heap and by way of treading (maddana), winnowing (cāvana) and so on; thus, is the meaning. The taking of barley grains here separately (visuṃ) is for the purpose of showing the condition of staple (padhāna) grain (dhañña); he shows by means of both also that in the village as well as outside the village, the harvested crop (dhaññaṃ) has stood all round full. Na ca labbe piṇḍaṃ means: I do not get even to the extent of a lump of cooked rice (piṇḍaṃ) at such a time of easy eatable when rice-grains are easy of gain in this manner. Kathamahaṃkassaṃ means: now, how shall I do? How shall I live? Thus, he made fun (of the thera). Having heard it, the thera said to himself thus:– “This miserable man (varāko) made manifest to me his own occurrence (pavatti) by himself; by me, however, myself should be advised but by myself; nothing also should be spoken by me,” and said three stanzas starting with “Buddhamappameyyam,” urging (niyojento) himself toward the reflection (anussati) on the three realities (vatthu). There, Buddhappameyyaṃ anussara pasanno means: do reflect over, do make your awareness occur (satiṃpavattehi) with contemplation of Buddha as an object for concentration (Buddhārammaṇaṃ) accordingly and continuously, beginning with “Iti pi so bhagavā arahaṃ sammāsambuddho (thus also that Blessed One) is worthy of honour, the well-self-awakened Buddha,” having been pious-minded, having become piously pleased with specially devout pleasure marked (lakkhana) by confidence (okappana); Buddha, the Blessed One is immeasurable (appameyyaṃ) because of the absence of such depravity (kilesa) as lust (rāga) and so on for the making of quantitative measurement (pamāṇakara), as well as because of being the incomparably fertile field of merit (puññakkhetta) on account of being endowed with immeasurable quality owing to the condition of His having become blossomed (vikasita) by means of definite (accanta) departure (vigama) from the drowsy sleep of ignerance (avijjā) along with its proclivity (savāsanāya). Satatamudaggo means: you might become capable of (samattho) soaring up (laṅghituṃ) the sky, after having made bodily elation (udaggam), elated (udaggo) with rapturous (ubbega) zest (pītī), with the body overpowered by exalted visible forms which well promote (samuṭṭhāna) zest, with the body ever permeated at all times by zest (pīti) marked by thrilling suffusion (pharaṇa) but by keeping on reflecting (anussarantova); you would aptly enjoy well immense (uḷāraṃ) zest and delight making Buddha as object of contemplation (ārammaṇaṃ), by means of (your) reflection (anussati) on Buddha; you should be unoverwhelmed by hunger and thirst also similary as a result of cold and heat; thus, is the meaning. Dhammaṃ means: noble (ariyaṃ) transcendental (lokkuttara) truth (dhamma). Saṅghaṃ means noble (ariyaṃ) absolutely (parama) meaningful (attha) Order of monks. The rest is but as has been said. Here, however, anusssara means: do reflect on dhamma as “The truth (dhamma) had been well propounded (akkhāto) by the Blessed One,” and so on; do reflect on the Order of monks as “The disciples who constitute the Order of monks regulate their lives well (suppaṭipanno);” thus, it should be interpretted. When, in this manner, he himself was advised by the thera by way of urging himself towards the reflection (anussaraṇa) upon the three Gems, Māra, again, being desirous of secluding (vivecetum) him from the dwelling in seclusion (vivekavāsa) said the fifth stanza starting with “Abbhokāse viharati in order to show as if he were in the condition of the thera’s welfare seeker (hitesī). Its meaning:– You, O monk! Abbhokāse viharasi (dwell in the open air, in the bare (vivaṭa) yard (aṅgana) unroofed (apaṭicchanne) by any (roofing) material, you make your bodily movements (iriyāpathe kappesi). Hemantika imā ratvo means: these cold nights turn out to be (vattanti) included (pariyāpannā) in the season (samaya) of snowfalling (himapāta); therefore, pareto not having been overcome (abhibhūto) by cold (sīta), mā vihaññittho (do not get hareseed) do not meet with (āpajji) distress (vighāta), do not be bored (kilami). Phusitaggaḷaṃ means: do enter the monastery which has its door-leaves closed (pihitakavāṭaṃ); in this manner, there will become your comfortable (sukha) dwelling (vihāro). On having heard it, the thera said the simth stanza starting with “Phusissam” in order to show thus: “To me there is no urge (payojana) for seeking a monastery; there is comfort (sukha) in my dwelling but here.” There, phusissaṃ catasso appamaññāyo means: I shall get myself permeated (phusissāmi) by leading the four forms of holy life (brahmavihāra) which had gained the term (vohāra) “Appamaññā (boundless),” because of the state of immeasurable sphere of influence (appanānagooara), I shall regulate my life (accordingly) time after time (kālena Kālaṃ). Tāhicasukhito viharissaṃ means: I shall dwell and make my four bodily movements (iriyāpatha) also, having been with well promoted happiness (saṅjātasukho) comfortably (sukhito) with those boundless holy lives (appamaññāhi). On that account, there is but bliss for me at all times, not painful misery (dukkha). Yato nāhaṃ sīteña vihaññissaṃ means: I shall not be in miserable trouble (Kilamissāmi) by cold even within the eights i.e. eight days before and eight days after the full moon (antaraṭṭhaka) in the snow showering season (himapātasamaye). Aniñjito viharanto means: therefore, I shall dwell comfortably (sukhito) but with the bliss of self-attainment of jhāna (samāpatti) owing to the absence of shaking and stirring up (uppanniñjana) of causal conditions (paccaya) on account of the state of having well given up malevolence (byāpāda) etc., which made the stirring of the mind. In this manner, the thera increasingly developed spiritual insight (vipassanā) while still speaking this stanza, and visualised Arahantship. Hense has it been said in the Apadāna:– “In the city of Bandhumatī I was a physician, well-trained, bringer of happiness to multitude of man afflicted (ātura) with ailment and distressed with pain (dukkha). On having seen an ailing monk, possessor of moral precepts (sīla), greatly brillient (juti), I, pious-minded and good-hearted, then, offered medicine to him. But by that medicine, the monk recovered his health (arogo). The monk was one whose senses (indriya) were well controlled (saṃvuṭa) he was known by the name of Asoka, the attendent on Buddha Vipassī. It was ninety one aeons (kappa) ago, that I made my offering of medicine; I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of medicine (offering). In the eighth aeon (kappa) previous to the present I was a world king named Sabbosadha of great fruit, endowed with seven sorts of gems. My depravity had been burnt. :P; Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Here, these stanzas had been sung together at the third council because of the springing up of this thera at the time of king Bindusāra; thus, it should be understood. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Tekicchakārī is complete. ---- ----